Sonali was packing some paranthas when Naina entered the kitchen.

"Aa gayi tu... yeh maine raaste ke liye alu paranthe banwaye hain... rakh le... aur iss dabbe mein fruits hain... thode se biscuit bhi hain... aur isme namkeen rakha hai... ek thermos mein chai bhi de dun?" Sonali fumbled with all the packets.

Naina placed a hand on her shoulder, "Sonali, hamara sirf paanch ghante ka safar hai... paanch din ka nahi... itna sab nahi chahiye... bas thode paranthe kaafi honge."

Sonali turned... her eyes were damp, "Main bohot miss karungi tujhe, Naina."

Naina hugged her tight, "Miss toh main bhi karungi, Sonali... par tujhse zyada din mile bina nahi rahungi."

Sonali pulled back and looked at her in surprise, "Tum log wapas aane wale ho?"

Naina shook her head, "Tum sab aoge na... hamari shaadi ke liye."

"Naina, tere gharwaale maan gaye?" Sonali screamed in excitement.

Naina pursed her lips, "Nahi, abhi baat nahi ki, lekin main manaa ke hi rahungi... aur agar unko koi problem hogi toh chachaji ne shaadi toh karwa hi di hai hamari... main woh ghar chod dungi."

Sonali widened her eyes, "Tu ghar chod sakti hai?"

Naina took a deep, determined breath, "Sameer ke liye toh main duniya bhi chod sakti hun... ghar kya hai... jinhe main apna parivaar maanti hun, jo meri parvaah karte hain, unka ashirwaad hai mere saath... baaki sab ko agar mere sar pe haath nahi rakhna toh koi baat nahi... aaj tak unke pyar ke bina jee rahi thi, aage bhi zaroorat nahi hai... lekin Sameer ke bina jeene ka main soch bhi nahi sakti."

Sonali felt a sense of pride at her friend's courage and resolve.

"Tu jab bulayegi, hum aa jayenge... balki mummy aur bhaiya bhabhi bhi aayenge saath... Naina, main tere aur Sameer ke liye roz bhagwan se prarthana karungi ki jaldi se jaldi tumhari shaadi poore tareeke se ho jaaye." She hugged Naina again.

They all had breakfast together. For once, even Rahul was quiet. He too was sad for his friends... not only because they were leaving for good but also because he knew how tough it would be for them to stay without each other... he had seen the depth of their love and was a witness to the pain they felt for each other's sufferings. He didn't want any more drama in their lives. They deserved all the happiness.

"Sameer, tumhe station chodne main aur Sonali dono chalenge." He stated.

"Nahi Rahul, tum log nahi aaoge." Sameer was prompt.

Before Rahul could insist, he continued, "Please, tum log agar station aaoge toh aisa lagega jaise hum iss ghar se hamesha ke liye jaa rahe hain... tum aaj bhi aise hi apne darwaze se bye bolna jaise tab bolte ho jab hum hostel jaate hain... matlab jaate the... main iss ahsaas ke saath jana chahta hun ki hum aate rahenge yahan... iss ghar se jo yaadein judi hain... tum logon ke saath jo khushiyaan baanti hain woh dil mein hamesha ek khushbu ki tarah rahengi... aur wohi khushbu humein baar baar yahan kheench ke layegi."

Rahul was overwhelmed... he nodded, accepting Sameer's decision.

When the cab arrived, Rahul instructed John to take their suitcases down. Sameer hugged him, thanking him once again. Naina and Sonali said a tearful goodbye to each other.

Rahul came towards Naina and took her in a side hug, giving a wink to Sameer.

"Ab bhadak mat jaiyo... maine pehle hi kaha tha tujhe, meri behen jaisi hai yeh." He made a face, seeing Sameer stare at him.

Looking at a stunned Naina, he smiled, "Jab se tumhari wajah se Sonali meri zindagi mein aayi hai tab hi maine usse keh diya tha... Naina ko hamesha apni woh behen manunga jo bhagwan ne mujhe nahi di... aur jab bhi tumse milunga aise hi gale lagaunga jaise bada bhai apni behen ko pyaar se lagata hai... tumhare iss jalkukde pati ko jalna hai toh jale... mujhe koi fark nahi padta."

Naina relaxed, smiling at Sameer.

"Maine kuch kaha kya? Aise hi mujhe upaadhi diye jaa raha hai... saale, teri achhi khatidari karunga tu ek baar Ahmedabad aa zara." Sameer said with a straight face.

Naina narrowed her eyes at him.

Sameer shrugged, "Galat kya hai... meri biwi ka bhai hai toh saala hi hua na."

All four of them burst out laughing. The heaviness of leaving subsided to some extent.

When the cab left their society, Naina turned to take a last look... she closed her eyes once the place went out of view as the cab took a turn... as if to preserve the image in her mind.

Sameer pulled her closer to him, knowing how she felt.

She leaned on his shoulder.

At the station, she waited while he bought the tickets. The train arrived on time. They checked the coach number and went in to look for their seats. Once they secured the suitcases under the seats, they settled down next to the window.

With the shrill whistle of the train, Naina felt the heaviness engulf her again. As the train chugged out of the station, she felt that her wings were being tied down... she was being trapped...

She looked at Sameer with sad eyes, "Sameer, jo azaadi humein yahan thi woh Ahmedabad mein nahi hogi... har baat ke liye sochna padega, har cheez ke liye puchna padega, har kadam ki khabar deni hogi sabko... fir bhi apni marzi se kuch nahi kar payenge."

He pressed her hand, "Aisa nahi hai... agar koi humse sawal karta hai toh unhe hamari fikr hai isliye kehte hain... mujhe toh koi nahi rokta, Naina... par main chahta hun ki roke, chahta hun ki koi kahe Sameer, abhi bahar mat jao, dhoop se bimar pad jaoge... taras gaya hun koi daante ki Sameer, kitni baar kaha tha bheegna mat baarish mein, ab ho gaya na bukhaar... lekin aise kehne wala koi nahi hai wahan."

She placed her other palm on his hand covering hers, "Tum kaho toh main tumhe pyaar se daant diya karungi... theek hai?"

He looked at her tilted face, wishing they were alone so he could hold her and kiss her senseless.

"Naina, tum roz daant lena... pyar se aur chaho toh gusse se bhi... par yahan train mein aise mat satao... yahan itne pyar se dekhogi toh main kahin bhool na jaun ki hum kahan hain." He whispered, leaning closer.

She stiffened, a streak of red covering her cheeks... and turned her face to look out of the window.

Sameer smiled with satisfaction... he had managed to take the gloomy look off from her face, bringing back the colour he so loved to see on her plump cheeks.

His hand sneaked behind her... and she recalled the journey to Mumbai when they had come together... how he had been asking her constantly for a kiss... and she had teased him, but did not relent throughout the journey. And today, they had come so far... the closeness they had shared was unthinkable... she shivered at the thought of not having his warmth to cuddle to at night... not waking up to his calm face... not having his arms around her to stop her from leaving the bed.

"Bas Naina, ab yeh sab sochna band kar... ab apna dimaag iss baat mein laga ki ghar pe sabse kaise baat karni hai... papa aur Arjun bhaiya bhi wahin hain abhi toh... bina ek bhi din ganwaye unse saari baatein kehni hongi." She murmured to herself.

Sameer frowned, leaning to hear what she was saying.

"Tum khud se baatein kyon kar rahi ho?" He tugged at her arm to gain her attention.

She looked back abruptly, realizing that she was speaking aloud, though not enough for him to decipher.

"Woh main bas soch rahi thi ki ghar pe kya aur kaise kahungi." She explained.

"Naina, main toh ab bhi kehta hun ki hum mil ke baat karte hain... jab shaadi ho hi gayi hai toh sab log kuch nahi kar sakte... jo gussa karna hai usse hum ek saath sun lenge na." He tried again.

She linked her fingers with his, "Sameer, tum papa ko toh jaante ho na... ek second nahi lagta unhe kisi ki beizzati karne mein... main nahi chahti woh tumhe aisa kuch kahe jo main bardaasht na kar paun... tum bohot keemti ho mere liye... tumhara apmaan nahi jhel paungi... ek baar unhe ahsaas karwa dun ki tum unke daamaad ho fir kisi ki himmat nahi hogi tumse ya tumhare baare mein kuch kehne ki."

"Tumhare papa ka samajh sakta hun par taiji se toh milwa sakti ho." He insisted.

A wave of fear rocked her... how could she forget all those slaps and physical pain that taiji easily afflicted upon her, being motherless and not having any support of father.

No, Sameer could not be told about it... he would react without thinking...

"Bolo na, taiji se milwaogi? Chachiji bhi toh maan gayi... aur Phulla bua bhi... toh taiji bhi jaldi hi maan jayengi... haina?" He pulled her out of the painful thoughts.

She almost laughed at his assumption, "Taiji baaki sabke jaisi nahi hain, Sameer... unhe nahi sambhal sakte tum... unse tumhe sabse baad mein milwaungi... jitna door raho utna hi achha hai."

He twisted his lips, wondering how he could help her deal with her difficult family.

The TT came as they were lost in thoughts. He prodded Sameer's shoulder when he didn't respond even to his second call to show the ticket.

"Huh... haan... ticket... ek minute." He jerked at the sudden intrusion to his planning.

He checked the front pockets of his jeans, then the back ones. The ticket was nowhere.

"Maine liya tha." He tried to sound convincing to the checker, frantically searching in his wallet.

The TT looked at the small photograph of Naina in school uniform in his wallet, then he peered in her direction.

"Aapki behen hai?" He asked Sameer.

His eyes flared up.

With difficulty, he kept his voice down, "Biwi hai meri."

"Shaadishuda toh nahi lag rahi." The checker looked suspiciously at the missing signs... sindoor, mangalsutra, bangles...

"Kya dulhan banke jaaye train mein jisse sabko pata chale?" Sameer glared at the checker.

"Ghar se bhaag ke toh nahi jaa rahe?" TT voiced his suspicion.

All other passengers looked at Naina.

Sameer gritted his teeth... remembering at that exact moment that he had put the ticket in his shirt pocket in a hurry.

He fished it out, holding it in front of the checker.

"Ghar se bhaag nahi rahe, ghar wapas jaa rahe hain." He said in a clipped voice.

"Matlab pehle bhage the?" TT was not ready to let the matter go easily.

"Kyon bhagenge? Padhte the yahan... ab padhai khatm karke jaa rahe hain... aur aapko inn sabse kya matlab hai... ticket dikhaya na aapko... Mr and Mrs Maheshwari ke naam ka... kaho toh shaadi ka certificate bhi dikha dun... aur gharwalon ka number bhi deta hun, agle station se phone karke puch lo." He growled at the checker.

"Itna time nahi hai mere paas ki sabke ghar phone karun." The TT said haughtily.

"Shareef logon ko pareshaan karne ke liye aapke paas bohot time hai... aap iss tarah ki baatein karke meri wife ki insult kar rahe hain... iske liye main aapki shikayat kar sakta hun." He stood up to his full height in front of the short, stout TT.

The impact was immediate.

"Bhai sahab, naaraaz mat hoiye... hum toh bas apna kaam kar rahe hain... aajkal ladke ladkiyaan yeh faaltu ke pyaar vyaar ke chakkar mein padke ghar se bhaag jaate hain... hum toh bas isliye thodi puchtach kar rahe the." He gave a sheepish smile, before quickly moving away to another coupe.

Naina took a deep breath. Her decision to face her family alone was right... Sameer would not be able to hear anything against her or their relationship...

And she was sure taiji would have a lot to throw at her the moment she came to know about Sameer.